Hey everyone! It’s The Wrestling Classic here with another list for ONE37pm. This month I thought I’d take on the very hard task of listing the 30 best WWE matches of all time.
I am 100% sure I will be missing a few matches on this list, but at least this article will start a healthy debate and spirited conversation. And of course, this list will surely be controversial. Also, keep in mind that I hadn’t watched many WWE matches before the “Rock N Wrestling” boom in the 80s. I have watched some, but none that I considered putting on this list.
This is a subjective list, ladies and gentlemen. These are the matches that come to my mind if you were to put me on the spot and ask me what WWE matches are worth Watch wrestling in full. Now with all that being said, these are the matches that come to mind when I think of the words memorable, important, special, and significant. These matches ARE NOT ranked in any special order. I have also written about a ton of these matches in more detail in previous articles which you can find here.
Lastly, NXT matches won’t be on this list because that brand under the WWE umbrella deserves its own list if we’re being quite honest.
Enjoy!
1. Team Authority vs. Team Cena
WWE Survivor Series 2014
There have been a handful of memorable five-on-five traditional Survivor Series matches through the years. But this one stands out for a couple of reasons. By November 2013, the Authority had caused so much burden over the WWE roster, that a group of them led by John Cena banded together to get rid of their bosses. Cena’s team consisted of Ryback, Erick Rowen, Big Show, and Dolph Ziggler. If Cena’s team lost, they would all be fired. Team Authority consisted of Seth Rollins, Luke Harper, Kane, Mark Henry, and Rusev. It’s a really fun watch and a stand-out match for Dolph Ziggler. Sting’s debut at the end was the perfect cherry on top. The Sting debut is honestly what made this beat out Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff for me.
2. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE SummerSlam 2022
The rivalry between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns began in 2015. They had faced each other six times in singles matches and headlined three WrestleMania’s before their showdown at SummerSlam 2022. At WrestleMania 38, Reigns defeated Lesnar for both the Watch Wrestling WWE Championship and Universal Championship. The difference between the 2022 matches compared to the matches before was that Lesnar was the clear-cut babyface while Roman Reigns was the top heel with Paul Heyman in his corner. This SummerSlam match will go down in history as a pure spectacle, mainly because Lesnar flipped over the ring with his tractor. If this was the final match between the two, it was a great way to end their epic feud.
3. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley
WWE
WWE Hell in a Cell 2020
“The Four Horsewomen” (Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlott Flair, and Becky Lynch) changed the game during the Women’s Revolution with their rivalries and matches against each other. The match between Sasha Banks and Bayley at NXT Takeover Brooklyn in 2015 (it would be on this list if NXT was included) set the bar for women’s wrestling. However, on the main roster, they only wrestled each other a few times but never replicated their feud on NXT because they were always portrayed as friends. When they finally got to be rivals in 2020, it felt like years in the making. The closest they got to recreating the magic they made in Brooklyn was in this Hell in a Cell match. They were real-life best friends, but their chemistry in the ring against each other just showcased how they made better on-screen enemies. This classic women’s HIAC contest is tailor-made for this list of the best WWE matches of all time.
4. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
WWE Hell in a Cell 2022
Cody Rhodes made his triumphant return to the WWE after a six-year absence at WrestleMania 38. And in the process, he rained on Seth Rollins’ parade by being his surprise opponent. The last time we saw Rhodes in the WWE, he was portraying the “Stardust” character while Seth Rollins had just come off a successful run as WWE Champion. Cody however made a name for himself outside of the company and by the time he returned, he felt like a big deal. In his first feud, he had a trilogy of matches with Rollins. However, in the blowoff to their feud where they met in Hell in a Cell, the “American Nightmare” entered the match with a visually bruised torn pec. It made every attack from Rollins seem so much more dastardly and brutal. Cody wrestling an entire match with a torn pec that would take him out of the game for months after this match is enough reason for it to make this list.
